Ancient DNA: The Making of a Celebrity Science

by Elizabeth D. Jones

The untold story of the rise of the new scientific field of ancient DNA research, and how Jurassic Park and popular media influenced its development
 
Ancient DNA research—the recovery of genetic material from long-dead organisms—is a discipline that developed from science fiction into a reality between the 1980s and today. Drawing on scientific, historical, and archival material, as well as original interviews with more than fifty researchers worldwide, Elizabeth Jones explores the field’s formation and explains its relationship with the media by examining its close connection to de-extinction, the science and technology of resurrecting extinct species. She reveals how the search for DNA from fossils flourished under the influence of intense press and public interest, particularly as this new line of research coincided with the book and movie Jurassic Park . Ancient DNA is the first account to trace the historical and sociological interplay between science and celebrity in the rise of this new research field. In the process, Jones argues that ancient DNA research is more than a public-facing it is a celebrity science.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Biology, Palaeontology, Evolution, Nature, Genetics

280 pages, Hardcover

Published March 29, 2022

Reviews

[Wendelle]

an excellent thorough timeline of the progress of the science of Ancient DNA or the attempt in molecular biology to recover ancient DNA extractions from fossils, with the landmark events being the following:
1. Pellegrino's visionary idea of extraction and DNA recovery from amber
2. Poinar and Hess's 1983 Science publication of the preservation and recovery of soft tissues that are millions of years old
3. Higuchi and Wilson et al's extraction of the DNA of the quagga, extinct since the 19th century
4. Svante Paabo's work in DNA extraction of Egyptian mummies
5. the invention of the polymerase chain reaction method, which amplifies DNA from a few strands to a billion copies easily
6. the release of Michael Crichton and Spielberg's Jurassic Park, which ignited widespread interest in a newly fascinating rockstar science
7. Paabo's Neanderthal Genome Project and longtanding rivalry of fiefdoms with another esteemed lab headed by Cooper
8. Longstanding concerns about distortion of results due to contamination
This book is an excellent view to the development of a novel science, through anonymized interviews of record with key people in the field

[Mariela Cortés López · Rating 3 out of 5]

The premise of the book sounded appealing, specially because I had an early interest for aDNA research and some of my friends are in the field. It correctly raises some of the problems that I had observed and read about, however, in many sections it becomes highly redundant, delivering the same message around 5 or more paragraphs. I would have liked to read a more extended chapter on the ethics of sample acquisition and neo-colonialism practices.

[Ross · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exhaustively researched but accessible account of the rise of ancient DNA research from 1984 until now. Using first hand, anonymised, interviews with many of the scientists and researchers who pioneered the extraction of DNA from subfossil material, Dr Jones gives a real flavour of the rollercoaster ride that was the ascendancy of aDNA from fringe pursuit to (mostly) mainstream research agenda. What I found particularly great was the direct quotes from researchers, showing them to be entirely human and afflicted with all the foibles of everyday folk, alongside their obvious smarts: competitiveness, envy, jealousy, a hint of bitterness. I've never read a book like this before that charts the appearance of a new field of science, yet remains very readable. As someone who was part of the second generation of aDNA researchers I can vouch for the authenticity of the narrative in the book.

[djcb · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book not about Ancient DNA, but an overview of the process of creating the science of Ancient DNA, through interviews with (anonymous) participants. From proto-scientific to Jurassic Park, Neanderthals etc.

Mildly interesting, though less than the actual Ancient DNA, like in Pääbo's, Reich's books.

[Nestor · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is a very well-documented story of the development of Ancient DNA as a new field of study, but in my opinion, it lacks the most important thing, which is the use, analysis, philosophy, and ethics of this new science. I would have liked more opinions, more applications, and fewer reports or narrations of historical battles. If there were so much human contamination or just contamination how did it happen? Just for someone to touch it? When one or two scientists start to control a research niche one should start to not believe in it. Nature and Science are the Vanity Fair magazines for scientists, not always published peer-reviewed articles but those that attract scientists' vanity.
I like the open discussion about biocolonialism. I like the chapter about the relationship between science and media. I think that as a historical account, it is a long book, it has about 1/3 too much, that is why I give it three stars.

[The Inquisitive Biologist · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ancient DNA is an excellent intellectual history of this fascinating discipline that skillfully combines spicy interviews with serious science study. Read my full review at https://inquisitivebiologist.com/2023...